At Incept we consider a conversation to be productive when the end result is a stronger relationship. There are many ways to strengthen a relationship with your donor. Below are just a few examples of things you can do in your calls to ensure that your conversation is productive.

One of the easiest ways to do this is by genuinely asking how the donor is doing. This lets the donor know that you care about them as a person, and listening to their tone lets you know how the rest of your call is going to go. The donor may respond with “good” but sound rushed with children screaming in the background. You can strengthen the relationship by asking if now is a good time to talk or if it would be better if we called back at another time. If the donor really is surrounded by chaos, they will appreciate your consideration and respond positively to the next call, during which they will be able to schedule an appointment without distractions. This has also saved you time because you were able to move on to the next call instead of continuing on with the call with many interruptions.

Another way to strengthen the relationship with the donor is by thanking them for their support even when they are not eligible to donate. There are numerous reasons that a donor can be deferred from donating blood, so we want to make sure to acknowledge all of their past support and make them feel good about the lives they were able to save in the past. This will create a positive impression that will stay with them until they are able to donate again. You can even use their donation history as a reference to how many times they donated in the past, and convert that number into the number of lives they have helped save.

Lastly, you can strengthen the relationship with the donor by asking, ” Is there anything else I can help you with today?” after you schedule the donor’s appointment. The donor may need you to give them directions to the center or simply repeat a phone number for them. This is a very simple question to ask, and it lets the donor know that you are here to help them, not just schedule the appointment and get them off the phone as fast as you can.

Now that you have the knowledge you need to strengthen the relationship with your donors, ask yourself at the end of each call, “Was that a productive conversation?”